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GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING
PROPOSALS
FOR GRANTS TO MISSION PROJECTS
INTRODUCTION
Mission Grants help LWML-Canada fulfill its purpose
The
women of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League-Canada are called
to grow in and reach out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our
Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to "Go into all the world and
preach the Good News to all creation" (Mark 16:15 NIV). His
last words to His disciples were "and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the
earth" (Acts 1:8b NIV).
As
an auxiliary to Lutheran Church-Canada and its three districts,
Lutheran Women's Missionary League-Canada (LWML-Canada) has a responsibility
and commitment to provide funds through its mission grants program
to support and expand the mission outreach programs of the Synod
and its districts. Proposals serving this purpose shall receive
primary consideration for the ballot to be presented to the voting
body in convention.
Also
considered for inclusion on the ballot will be grants supporting
mission work done by Lutheran Church-Canada's partner churches,
particularly that work where a member or members of LCC is/are working.
On occasion LWML-Canada will partner with one of the other two auxiliary
organizations of LCC, Lutheran Laymen's League of Canada and Concordia
Lutheran Mission Society to fund a mission project, particularly
when the cost is too high for one auxiliary to support.
LWML-Canada
encourages its societies, zones, districts and individual members
to support the work of Listed Service Organizations and Canadian
Lutheran World Relief. The mission program of LCC, its districts
and partner churches is solely dependent upon monies contributed
by congregations through the budget process. Listed Service Organizations
and other church-related agencies such as Canadian Lutheran World
Relief raise funds through special offerings and other means both
within our Synod and from other sources. Therefore the national
body of LWML-Canada declines grant proposals from these agencies.
PREPARING THE PROPOSAL
Finding ideas
Contact any of the following for information on mission needs.
Mission
Department, Lutheran Church-Canada in Winnipeg or partner churches.
[Partner churches include The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, The
Lutheran Church of Australia, Iglesia Luterana Sinodo de Nicaragua
and others.]
The
mission department of each Lutheran Church-Canada District.
Lutheran seminaries in Edmonton and St. Catharines
Missionaries
in the mission field.
Your
pastor
LWML-Canada
Vice President, Christian Mission for the Mission Projects Bank-a
list of proposals from previous conventions not selected by delegates.
It is up to the individual or group submitting the grant proposal
to find out if the project is still valid. Some LWML-Canada districts
also have a Mission Projects Bank.
In
your own area do you know of special needs? Is the Church working
with a facility for handicapped or an outreach program for minorities,
elderly, youth or underprivileged? Contact the person in charge.
Focus of grant proposals
Grant
proposals may focus on one or more of the following but in each case
they are to be mission in emphasis.
People
Programs
Christian materials
Bricks and mortar
With
such a variety of needs - what makes a grant clearly mission in
emphasis?
The grant proposal shall:
extend
the ministry of the Word and extends God's Kingdom;
communicate
the Word of the Gospel, providing the opportunity for non-believers
to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ;
be
in harmony with the mission plans and objectives of Lutheran Church-Canada.
Other factors
To
find innovative and exciting grant proposals requires time and effort.
It requires creativity and initiative and a heart for missions to
seek out new concepts.
It
also requires RESEARCH! Please, please, research your grant proposal
and document it thoroughly.
As
you work, ask yourself the following questions.
Does
this grant enable non-believers to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Is it "mission" in emphasis, extending the ministry of
the Word?
As
noted above, when the proposal does not directly assist in the mission
program of Lutheran Church-Canada or its districts, is it in harmony
with the plans and programs the Synod or the particular district
concerned?
Is
it just a "good idea" or "dream" or is it current
and ready for implementation in the coming triennium, should it
the voting body choose it?
Can
the need be met in another way? Can funds be obtained from another
source or by the people themselves? Can equipment be borrowed, leased,
substituted or purchased second hand? Is it a necessity or a luxury?
Obvious exceptions would be equipment or capital costs for foreign
missions.
If
it requires ongoing financial support to maintain it, is that support
in place to continue after the LWML-Canada grant money has been
used?
WRITING
THE PROPOSAL
Your proposal shall have two (2) parts:
1. Resolution with approvals and signatures
2. Information paper
Resolution
Be concise, yet specific. State the purpose of the grant (goal statement)
and the total funds requested. Provide the reasons for the request
("whereas" statements) and how the funds will be used
("resolved" statement(s). When the request is for partial
funding for a project, indicate the source(s) of additional funds.
Sample
Resolution
| LAY
WORKER - KOREAN OUTREACH MINISTRY - $15,000 |
| Whereas, |
The
Lord is opening doors of mission opportunity in our midst; and |
| Whereas, |
During
the past two years, the Korean ministry, in Toronto, has been
growing in membership accessions, worship attendance, Bible
study, young adults and youth Bible studies, Sunday School and
Korean language classes; and |
| Whereas,
|
The
missionary's time is increasingly absorbed in overseeing many
ongoing programs, thus limiting him in outreach to the unchurched;
and |
| Whereas, |
A
gifted and dedicated young Korean woman is currently enrolled
in the Master Theological Studies program at Concordia Lutheran
Theological Seminary, St. Catharines with the hope of serving
the church; therefore be it |
| Resolved, |
That
Lutheran Women's Missionary League-Canada, assembled in the
convention in Ottawa, Ontario, adopt as a mission grant for
the 1997-1999 biennium the allocation of $15,000 toward the
cost of a two-year Korean diaconal ministry project to enhance
the growing Korean outreach ministry in Toronto. |
Approvals
required
Any individual LWML-Canada member, society, zone or district and
Lutheran Church-Canada synodical boards may submit a proposal. The
proposal requires the signature of the individual of person representing
the group submitting the proposal and information as noted on the
form.
Mission
grant proposals that are national or international in nature require
the approval and signature of:
LWML-Canada
President [on behalf of the General Council]
Executive
Director for Missions and Social Ministry or President of Lutheran
Church-Canada
Mission
grants for projects based in a District of Lutheran Church-Canada
require the approval and signature of:
LWMLC
District President [on behalf of the Board of Directors]
Synodical
District President or District Executive responsible for Missions
Mission
grants for projects involving an LCC partner church (if such a grant
involves LCC member(s) the approval and signature of the President
of LCC is also required.
LWML-Canada
President [on behalf of the General Council
President
or mission executive of the partner church
Information
Paper
The details provided in the information paper expand upon the information
provided in the resolution. The information provided is of assistance
to the selection committee in determining whether or not to place
a proposal on the ballot. The General Council will use it when approving
the committee's proposed ballot and it is used to provide information
to the voting body prior to and at the convention.
In
answering the questions who, what, when, why, where and how, include
comments of people having special knowledge of the project. Include
their names and contact information for the use of the selection
committee should they require clarification. Be specific about how
the grant will be used and include information on plans for continued
maintenance and support.
Provide
the name and address of the person who receive and disburse the
grant money, as well as providing a brief report at the conclusion
of the project.
Provide
the name and contact information of the person who will provide
updates (and photographs where possible) to share with the members
of LWML-Canada.
SUBMITTING
THE PROPOSAL
Sending a proposal for the 2009 convention
Option 1:
Send
one (1) copy of the resolution, dated information sheet, approvals
and signatures to Ardith Pollex, Vice President, Christian Mission
for LWML-Canada, 15 Joseph Street, St. Thomas, ON N5R 1S8 by June
30, 2008, AND
Send
one copy of the resolution and the information sheet as an e-mail
attachment to the Vice President, Christian Mission, LWML-Canada
at vpchristianmission@lutheranwomen.ca by June 30, 2008 and state
that a copy with required signatures has been mailed.
Option
2:
If
the resolution and information sheet cannot be sent by e-mail, please
send ten (10) copies of each, plus the approvals and signatures,
by regular mail to Ardith Pollex, Vice President, Christian Mission
for LWML-Canada (address as above) by June 30, 2008.
CONCLUSION
Receipt of proposal
It
is dated and checked for completeness.
It
is sent for evaluation to the Lutheran Church-Canada President and
the Lutheran Church-Canada Executive Director of Missions &
Social Ministry Services.
After
consultation with these synodical officers, the Mission Grants Selection
Committee selects the proposals to appear on the ballot.
These
selections are approved by the LWML-Canada General Council.
Those
submitting proposals are notified if their proposal has or has not
been placed on the ballot for convention following the General Council
meeting in the Spring of 2009.
Disbursement
of funds
Funds
from grants approved by the voting body in convention must be disbursed
within one (1) fiscal triennium, the triennium for which delegates
have approved them, or be returned to LWML-Canada treasury. In cases
of extenuating circumstances, the convention voting body may extend
the time for one (1) fiscal triennium.
In
the event that changes to a project selected to receive a grant
necessitate changes to the purpose for which the grant was given,
the LWML-Canada General Council shall be authorized to act, either
in session or by other means (mail, fax, e-mail, teleconference).
Thank you for following these guidelines in preparing your proposal.
Questions?
Contact the Vice President, Christian Mission of LWML-Canada or
your District President
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